A Forever Friend Page 3

  So did our stories, Willa thought happily.

  “I just read an e-mail from your mom and dad,” Mom told Kate. “They’re going on a dolphin-watching tour today. Didn’t you want to go too?”

  Kate shook her head. “Boats make me seasick,” she answered. “And I’d rather spend the day with Willa.”

  “Great,” Willa said. Then quickly added, “Not the seasick part—that you’re staying here.”

  “Why don’t you both grab a table in the dining room for breakfast?” Mom suggested.

  “Milk and orange juice are already out there,” Dad said, facing the stove. “Eggs and sausages coming up.”

  The Misty Inn guests looked up from their breakfast plates when the girls walked into the room.

  “Good morning,” Willa said with a smile.

  She and Kate chose a blue table near a sunny window and sat down. As they poured milk into glasses, they could hear the guests chatting to one another.

  “Excuse me, but did you hear that bloodcurdling scream last night?” one man sitting alone asked the couple at the next table.

  The woman’s frizzy white hair bounced as she nodded her head. “We sure did, and I’m not surprised. Old Victorian houses like this are famous for being haunted.”

  “Yeah,” Kate whispered to Willa, who was sipping her milk, “so are old Chicago apartment buildings.”

  Willa lost it. She snorted so hard that milk poured out of her nose. The guests stopped talking to turn and stare.

  Quickly wiping her face, Willa whispered, “I think we’d better eat in the kitchen.”

  “I think you’re right,” Kate whispered back.

  Still giggling, Willa left the dining room with Kate. The day had just begun, and they were already off to a great start.

  “This beach is neat, Willa,” Kate remarked. “But where’s the boardwalk? Where are the resorts?”

  Willa wiggled her toes in the sand as they walked along the sugary-white beach. After she and Kate ate breakfast and stopped giggling about the milky mess, they headed straight for the beach.

  “Grandpa Reed says that Chincoteague is more interested in wildlife than nightlife,” Willa explained. “But there’s still tons of stuff to do around here.”

  “Like what?” Kate asked.

  “We’ve got biking and hiking trails,” Willa replied. “We can collect shells or dig for sand crabs.”

  The look on Kate’s face told Willa that crabs weren’t an option. That was fine with Willa because what she really wanted to do with Kate was ride the ponies.

  Willa knew Kate hadn’t been on a horse since their lessons in Chicago. Their lessons had been short and the ponies were always saddled when they arrived. Would Kate feel comfortable riding again? Willa sure hoped so.

  “Look,” Kate said, picking up a shell. “Maybe I can string this on a cord and wear it as a necklace.”

  “Kate?” Willa asked slowly. “How would you like to go to Miller Farm and get back up on a horse?”

  Kate looked up from the sand, her eyes wide. After giving it a thought, she smiled. “Let’s do it,” she said.

  Willa smiled back.

  After a quick lunch of tuna sandwiches and clam chowder at Misty Inn, Willa couldn’t get Kate to Grandma Edna’s fast enough. Grandma had already agreed over the phone to let Kate ride, so she picked the girls up in her truck and drove them to Miller Farm.

  Once in the truck, Willa introduced Kate to her grandmother. The two were meeting for the first time.

  “Why aren’t we riding Starbuck and Buttercup?” Kate asked Willa.

  “The farm has its own horses and riding ring,” Willa answered. “Just in case you need a brush-up lesson from Grandma Edna.”

  “Are there all kinds of animals on the farm,” Kate asked, “besides ponies and horses?”

  “Goats, chickens, rabbits—yes, all kinds,” Willa answered. “You did take your allergy medicine, didn’t you?”

  “Right after I woke up,” Kate confirmed.

  When they reached the farm, Grandma Edna turned to Kate. “Willa’s told me a lot about you, Miss Kate from Chicago,” Grandma Edna said, raising an eyebrow. “Is it true you once braided a pony’s mane when your instructor wasn’t looking?”

  Kate looked at Willa and said, “You told your grandmother that?”

  “It was funny,” Willa giggled.

  Kate giggled too. “Too bad our instructor didn’t think so.”

  “Okay, you two,” Grandma Edna said, “now that you’ve taken a trip down memory lane, let’s take a little trip to the pony field.”

  Grandma Edna led the way to the fenced-in field where the ponies grazed. When Kate saw the size of Jake, a huge draft horse, her mouth hung open.

  “I’m not riding that supersize one,” Kate gasped. “Am I?”

  “Oh, Jake there is a gentle giant.” Grandma Edna chuckled. “But I’m guessing you and Fancy would be the perfect match.”

  Fancy? Willa’s eyes widened at the mention of the tall, shiny bay. “Isn’t Fancy a little—”

  “High spirited?” Grandma Edna finished. “Just a bit, but only when she’s outside the pen.”

  “Fancy,” Kate repeated. “I like her name.”

  Grandma Edna winked down at Kate’s sparkly silver sneakers. “And why am I not surprised?”

  Willa led the way to the riding ring, where Fancy grazed. Grandpa Reed had already saddled and haltered the pony for Kate’s riding lesson. As the girls and Grandma Edna approached the fence, Fancy lifted her head and pricked her ears.

  “How do I know if she likes me?” Kate asked.

  “Easy.” Grandma Edna reached into the pocket of her vest and pulled out a carrot. “The way to a horse’s heart is through her stomach.”

  Fancy must have seen or smelled the carrot. With a whinny she trotted over to the fence.

  “Hold your hand out flat, Kate,” Grandma Edna instructed as she handed her the carrot. “This way Fancy will nibble the carrot, not your fingers.”

  “That tickles,” Kate giggled as Fancy ate the carrot out of her hand. She gave a surprised gasp when Fancy nuzzled her shoulder.

  Grandpa Reed stood nearby. “Well, will you look at that?” he said. “The start of a beautiful friendship.”

  “And the start of your riding lesson,” Grandma Edna added. She lifted a helmet hanging from the fence and gave it to Kate. “Ready?”

  Kate took a deep breath and said, “Ready.”

  Grandma Edna walked through the gate into the ring. Kate strapped on the helmet and asked, “Aren’t you riding too, Willa?”

  “I’d rather watch you ride,” Willa admitted. “If that’s okay with you.”

  “It’s okay,” Kate agreed. She glanced into the ring at Fancy. “Here goes.”

  Willa took her place outside the fence. She watched as Grandma Edna held two hands under Kate’s foot to give her a boost. When Kate was up in the saddle, Grandma Edna stepped way back.

  “Now, let’s see what you learned in Chicago,” Grandma Edna called to Kate.

  Kate positioned her body in the saddle. She sat straight but not too straight as she firmly held the reins in both hands.

  “Remember to relax your shoulders,” Grandma Edna directed. “If you’re tense, Fancy will sense it and might tense up too.”

  Willa felt herself tensing up. She so wanted Kate to do a great job and love riding.

  So we can ride together again, Willa thought hopefully.

  From the middle of the ring, Grandma Edna clicked her tongue. Fancy began to trot. Circling the ring, Kate bounced in the saddle in perfect rhythm with Fancy’s moves.

  “Go, Kate!” Willa cheered.

  After trotting around the ring about half a dozen times, Kate wanted to stop but forgot how.

  “Release your leg pressure,” Grandma Edna called out. “Now pull in the reins firmly but gently and call, ‘Whoa.’ ”

  “Whoa,” Kate called, following Grandma Edna’s directions. Fancy slowed down, then came
to a stop.

  “Nailed it,” Willa said under her breath. She opened the gate and greeted Kate as she ran over, her eyes shining.

  “I did it, Willa,” Kate exclaimed.

  Willa gave her friend a big hug. She was so proud of Kate for following directions and remembering her lessons.

  “Now that you got up close and personal with one of our biggest boarders,” Grandma Edna told Kate, “how about meeting the smaller brood at Miller Farm?”

  “She means the other rescue animals,” Willa explained to Kate. “And there are lots of them.”

  “Animals, animals, animals,” Kate exclaimed. “Does everyone on Chincoteague have tons of pets?”

  “Don’t you have a pet, Kate?” Grandma Edna asked.

  “Only two goldfish,” Kate answered as they walked away from the ring. “Their names are Chips and Salsa.”

  “Allergies,” Willa whispered to Grandma Edna. “But it’s under control.”

  To Willa, her first full day with Kate so far was perfect. Things got even better when, after meeting the animals—with no sneezing or itching from Kate—Grandma Edna dropped them off at Four Corners, the yummiest ice-cream parlor in Chincoteague.

  When Kate saw the flavor menu, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “ ‘Key lime pie,’ ‘graham cracker,’ ‘peppermint stick’?” she read out loud. “This place has about as many flavors as Blue Hills.”

  Willa totally agreed. Blue Hills had been their favorite place for ice cream in Chicago.

  “I think I’ll have a blackberry bliss cone.” Kate narrowed her eyes as she made her decision. “With crushed cookie crumbs on top.”

  “That flavor has real blackberries in it,” Willa pointed out. “Do you like blackberries?”

  “Never had any,” Kate said. Her finger tapped the glass case as she pointed to the blackberry ice-cream tub. “But I love the purple color, and I don’t want anything too gooey to stick to my braces.”

  “Good point. I’m going to go with peppermint stick.” Willa decided. “With rainbow sprinkles.”

  As they waited for their cones, Willa spotted some kids from school. She proudly introduced Kate to each of them. The others left with their cones, but Willa and Kate carried theirs to a table.

  “I can get used to this,” Kate said, before pulling a whole blackberry out of her ice cream with her teeth.

  “The ice cream?” Willa asked between licks.

  Kate gulped down the blackberry and said, “That—and Chincoteague.”

  Willa stared at Kate over her sprinkled scoop. Did Kate just say what she thought she heard? “You mean you could live here?” she asked. “Really?”

  “Maybe.” Kate nodded. “I’d just need more riding lessons. And tons of Bug Off bug spray.”

  “Who are you telling to bug off?” someone asked.

  Willa looked up. Walking toward their table were Ben and Chipper. Both boys were smiling and carrying ice cream.

  “I didn’t see you guys come in,” Willa said. The boys pulled chairs over to join them.

  “That’s because we’re men of mystery,” Chipper answered. “Right, Ben?”

  “Check,” Ben replied.

  “Oh . . . yeah,” Willa said. That top secret project they’re working on. How could she forget?

  “What are you doing today?” Ben asked the girls. “Besides eating ice cream.”

  Willa described the beach jaunt and Kate’s riding lessons. “Kate’s having the best time ever,” she said. “Right, Kate?”

  SNIFF.

  Sniff? Willa turned to look at Kate. All of a sudden her face was redder than the cherries in Chipper’s ice cream. So was her nose—and it was trembling with each sniff.

  “Kate?” Willa asked. “Are you okay?”

  “S-s-sure,” Kate stammered, her face turning red. “I . . . just . . . have to . . . have to . . .”

  Kate threw back her head. Everyone jumped as—Ah-chooo—the most earsplitting sneeze Willa had ever heard exploded across the table.

  Willa, Ben, and Chipper sat in silence. So did the others in the parlor, staring at Kate. Her supersonic sneeze had blown Chipper’s scoop halfway off his cone.

  “S-sorry,” Kate sniffed. Until her head rocked back and, “Ahhh-chooo. Ahhh-chooo. Ahhh-chooooooo . . .”

  Willa’s peppermint ice-cream scoop wiggled with each gust. Her rainbow sprinkles had all but blown away. Yuck.

  When Kate finally stopped, exhausted and even more red faced, Ben and Chipper stood up.

  “Um . . . we’ve got to go,” Chipper murmured.

  “Yeah . . . see you later,” Ben blurted.

  The boys left, tossing their ice creams in the trash can on their way out.

  Willa turned to Kate. All she could say was, “Gesundheit.”

  Kate tossed her soggy cone into a trash can too. She then pulled wads of napkins from the holder to rub her red, raw nose. “I guess I’m allergic to blackberries, too.”

  “But you said you took your allergy pill this morning,” Willa said. “You did, didn’t you?”

  “I’m supposed to take one every four hours,” Kate explained. “I guess I forgot to do that.”

  Willa frowned. How could Kate forget to take her medicine? But instead of arguing, she took a deep breath and smiled. She never remembered having such a tough time with Kate in Chicago. What had changed?

  “Anyone can forget,” Willa said. “Why don’t we go back to Misty Inn? I’m too full to finish my ice cream anyway.”

  Kate gave the loudest snort ever. It kind of reminded Willa of the ponies.

  “Good,” Kate sniffed. “I am so over this place.”

  Willa’s heart sank as they left Four Corners. The ice-cream parlor was an epic fail. But didn’t Kate just say she could get used to Chincoteague? Walking home, Willa refused to give up.

  Willa wanted her best friend to have the same feelings about Chincoteague that she had—and to make this the first of her visits, not the last.

  Chapter 6

  “KATE, HONEY, I FEEL AWFUL,” mom said, after she saw Kate’s sneeze-ravaged face. “I should have reminded you to take your next pill.”

  “Maybe you’d better take it easy the rest of the day, Kate,” Dad suggested.

  “We can watch a movie over a huge bowl of Dunlap family-favorite popcorn,” Willa exclaimed. “Kate, you used to love my dad’s popcorn back in Chicago, remember?”

  “That was before I had braces, Willa.” Kate sighed. “Popcorn gets stuck between the metal and the rubber bands.”

  “I didn’t know,” Willa said.

  “Alexa has braces too, so she gets it,” Kate said. “She also has allergies.”

  “Oh,” Willa said, then bit her lip to keep from screaming. Or crying.

  “You can still watch a movie or play a game,” Mom suggested. “Why don’t you borrow my tablet and take it upstairs?”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Willa said. She turned to Kate and added, “I know a great site with free movies. You can pick what we watch since you’re the guest.”

  Upstairs, Willa and Kate sat side by side on the floor, leaning against the bed. Just like they used to do in Willa’s room in Chicago.

  Willa was just about to search for the site when—

  “Wait,” Kate said. “Can I Skype Alexa first?”

  Willa’s hands froze on the keypad. “Do you have to? We were going to watch a movie.”

  “We will—after we say hi to Alexa,” Kate said. “This way you can see how cool she really is.”

  Willa didn’t know what to do or say. So when Ben and Chipper burst into the room, she was almost relieved.

  Both boys looked like they were playing dress-up. Ben wore a red bandanna around his head and a pirate’s eye patch. On Chipper’s head was a sea captain’s hat and in his mouth—a corncob pipe.

  “What are you doing?” Willa asked.

  Chipper pointed to Kate, then with a deep voice shouted, “Thar she bloooowwwws. Thar she blooowwwws.”

  “See the sp
out, me hearties,” Ben bellowed. “See the spout.”

  “What are they talking about?” Kate asked Willa.

  “Um . . . they’re pretending you’re a whale,” Willa explained. “I think.”

  Kate glared at the boys. “Did you just call me a whale?”

  “Just your sneeze.” Chipper chuckled. “It’s like a whale spouting water from his blowhole.”

  “A whale of a sneeze.” Ben guffawed.

  “That is not funny,” Kate snapped at the boys. “Go away.”

  “Yes, please,” Willa agreed. “Go back to your silly top secret project.”

  “Wait till you see what we’re working on,” Ben said.

  “You’ll feel pretty silly for thinking it was silly.”

  The boys traded a fist bump, then darted out of the room.

  “Boy, Ben has really changed since moving here. He used to be so quiet. I don’t know which way I like him better,” Kate said. Then she sighed and added, “It’s so good to be an only child. What do you think their secret project is?”

  “Who knows?” Willa admitted. “Ben and Chipper are always talking about staging a frog race. Maybe they’re training some super frog somewhere.”

  “They race frogs around here?” Kate wrinkled her nose. “That is so disgusting.”

  Willa didn’t think frogs were disgusting—especially after seeing so many of all sizes and colors on Chincoteague Island. There were bullfrogs, southern leopard frogs, green tree frogs—all kinds.

  “Frog races did happen on Chincoteague,” Willa admitted, “but I’ve never seen one.”

  “Good,” Kate said. “Now what movie should we watch?”

  Willa made sure not to remind Kate about Alexa. She was about to turn back to the tablet when she remembered something important.

  “I need our password for the movie site,” Willa said. “I’ll go downstairs and get it from my dad.”

  Leaving Kate in the room, Willa bounded down the stairs. She was glad Kate had changed her mind about Alexa.

  Downstairs, Willa scribbled the password on a notepad. She tore off the page, thanked Dad, then ran back upstairs.